Further 20 jobs go at Bell Bay Aluminium

BELL Bay Aluminium yesterday cut 20 jobs at its smelter as part of an ongoing restructure, reducing its workforce from 453 employees to 433.

BELL Bay Aluminium yesterday cut 20 jobs at its smelter as part of an ongoing restructure, reducing its workforce from 453 employees to 433.

The jobs have been axed from the smelter's pot rooms area.

Bell Bay Aluminium general manager Ray Mostogl said employees would be offered redundancies or other possible alternative roles at the smelter.

The smelter has been forced to make significant cost savings over the past two years due to low aluminium prices, a high exchange rate and higher costs of production.

"As one of Northern Tasmania's biggest private employers, we are very mindful of the importance of our operation to the Tasmanian community but the aluminium market will remain tough for some time," Mr Mostogl said.

"Continuing difficult external market conditions have meant an organisation restructure is necessary in order for us to sustain our operation. "It's important to remember that there is still more work to be done."

The company states that it directly and indirectly employs more than 1000 Tasmanians, and pays $49 million in salaries.

Last June, the company announced it would lay off or redeploy 30 staff in managerial and technical roles.